Cause and Manner of Death

Total Page:16

File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb

Cause and Manner of Death Cause and Manner of Death Cause of death is a medical opinion which is expressed in two parts. The first is a description of the condition or conditions which directly led to death. When multiple, they are listed in reverse chronological order. The first condition listed is the immediate cause of death, i.e. the condition which caused the individual to die at that time and in that place. The last condition listed is the proximate (or underlying) cause of death, i.e. the condition which started a chain of events leading to death. In some cases, these are one and the same—for example, “Toxic effects of cocaine”. More commonly, the chain has multiple links. For instance, if an individual suffered brain injury from a fall and, while bedridden and unconscious, developed pneumonia which led to death, his or her cause of death could be listed as, “Pneumonia, due to blunt force head trauma, due to fall.” The second part of the cause of death statement is a list of conditions which did not directly cause death but were contributing factors. For instance, the individual in the example above might have had severe emphysema and, because of this, have been at increased risk of developing pneumonia. Manner of death is a medicolegal determination that groups deaths into categories for public health purposes. It is based upon the proximate cause of death. In the example above, although the immediate cause of death was pneumonia, the proximate cause was a fall. Therefore, the manner of death is accident. An excellent description of the five commonly used manners of death is provided by the National Association of Medical Examiners: “Natural deaths are due solely or nearly totally to disease and/or the aging process. Accident applies when an injury or poisoning causes death and there is little or no evidence that the injury or poisoning occurred with intent to harm or cause death. In essence, the fatal outcome was unintentional. Suicide results from an injury or poisoning as a result of an intentional, self-inflicted act committed to do self harm or cause the death of one’s self. Homicide occurs when death results from a volitional act committed by another person to cause fear, harm, or death. Intent to cause death is a common element but is not required for classification as homicide … It is to be emphasized that the classification of Homicide for the purposes of death certification is a “neutral” term and neither indicates nor implies criminal intent, which remains a determination within the province of legal process. Undetermined or ‘could not be determined’ is a classification used when the information pointing to one manner of death is no more compelling than one or more other competing manners of death in thorough consideration of all available information.”.
Recommended publications
  • Tracking COVID-19 As Cause of Death: Global Estimates of Relative Severity
    Tracking COVID-19 as Cause of Death: Global Estimates of Relative Severity By Philip Schellekens and Diego Sourrouille* May 2020 ABSTRACT: Despite the rapid spread of the COVID-19 pandemic across countries, the global death toll remains highly concentrated in few high-income countries. Reported data suggests the developing world has been largely spared, yet a host of factors, not least demography, suggest that the observed discrepancy in the burden of mortality is likely significantly exaggerated. This paper tracks the severity implied by the reported data and relates it to pre-pandemic mortality patterns to get a feel for the discrepancies and inequalities. An indicator of “relative severity” is proposed to generate global comparisons across countries and over time. The methodology can be utilized to improve tracking systems and detect data anomalies that can then set the stage for further analysis. It should prove useful in getting a better grasp of the distribution and progression of the pandemic if or when the epicenters of the pandemic start shifting to the developing world. JEL: I10, J11 Keywords: Mortality; pandemic. * World Bank Group. Email correspondence: [email protected] and [email protected]. We would like to thank Syud Amer Ahmed, Pablo Cafiero, Marcio Cruz, Carl Dahlman, Indermit Gill, Huade Huo, Matthew Jones, Fabrice Lockefeer, Andrew Mason, Iris Pigeot, Bryce Quillin, Juan V. Sourrouille, Alfred Watkins, Juan Wisnivesky and Shahid Yusuf. 1. Introduction Views about the severity of the COVID-19 outbreak have evolved considerably. The initial outbreak was thought to be confined to China. Soon it spread across Asia and then the rest of the world.
    [Show full text]
  • Near-Death Experiences and the Theory of the Extraneuronal Hyperspace
    Near-Death Experiences and the Theory of the Extraneuronal Hyperspace Linz Audain, J.D., Ph.D., M.D. George Washington University The Mandate Corporation, Washington, DC ABSTRACT: It is possible and desirable to supplement the traditional neu rological and metaphysical explanatory models of the near-death experience (NDE) with yet a third type of explanatory model that links the neurological and the metaphysical. I set forth the rudiments of this model, the Theory of the Extraneuronal Hyperspace, with six propositions. I then use this theory to explain three of the pressing issues within NDE scholarship: the veridicality, precognition and "fear-death experience" phenomena. Many scholars who write about near-death experiences (NDEs) are of the opinion that explanatory models of the NDE can be classified into one of two types (Blackmore, 1993; Moody, 1975). One type of explana tory model is the metaphysical or supernatural one. In that model, the events that occur within the NDE, such as the presence of a tunnel, are real events that occur beyond the confines of time and space. In a sec ond type of explanatory model, the traditional model, the events that occur within the NDE are not at all real. Those events are merely the product of neurobiochemical activity that can be explained within the confines of current neurological and psychological theory, for example, as hallucination. In this article, I supplement this dichotomous view of explanatory models of the NDE by proposing yet a third type of explanatory model: the Theory of the Extraneuronal Hyperspace. This theory represents a Linz Audain, J.D., Ph.D., M.D., is a Resident in Internal Medicine at George Washington University, and Chief Executive Officer of The Mandate Corporation.
    [Show full text]
  • Guideline Completion of Death Certificates
    Department of Health Center for Health Statistics Guideline Revised – 2/23/17 Title: Completion of Death Certificates Number: CHS D-10 References: RCW 70.58.170 Contact: Daniel O’Neill, Senior Policy Analyst Phone: 360-236-4311 Email: [email protected] Effective Date: February 23, 2017 Approved By: Christie Spice The Department of Health provides this guideline for medical certifiers of death certificates. Medical certifiers include allopathic and osteopathic physicians, physician assistants, advanced registered nurse practitioners, chiropractors, coroners and medical examiners to follow when completing death certificates. The Department receives complaints that health care providers fail to complete death certificates in a timely manner or fail to accurately list the cause of death on the death certificate. The death certificate provides important information about the decedent and the cause of death. Death certification errors are common and range from minor to severe. Under RCW 70.58.170, a funeral director or person having the right to control the disposition of human remains must present the death certificate to the medical certifier last in attendance upon the deceased. The medical certifier then has two business days to certify the cause of death according to his or her best knowledge and sign or electronically approve the certificate, unless there is good cause for not doing so. The medical certifier should register cause and manner of death information through the Washington State Electronic Death Reporting System (EDRS). The EDRS facilitates timely registration of the death and rapid collection of cause and manner of death information. The EDRS can be found at https://fortress.wa.gov/doh/edrs/EDRS/.
    [Show full text]
  • Policy and Procedure Manual
    Policy and Procedure Manual Clark County Office of the Coroner/Medical Examiner (CCOCME) 1704 Pinto Lane Las Vegas, Nevada The Office of the Clark County Coroner/Medical Examiner was established with jurisdiction coextensive with the boundaries of Clark County, Nevada It shall be the duty of the county coroner to determine the cause of death of any person reported to him as having been killed by violence; has suddenly died under such circumstances as to afford reasonable grounds to suspect or infer that death has been caused or occasioned by the act of another by criminal means; has committed suicide; and to determine the cause of all deaths as to which applicable state law makes it the duty of the coroner to sign certificates of death. As the Southern Nevada community continues to grow, so does the role of the Clark County Office of the Coroner/Medical Examiner. The office has three distinctive division that work well together in an effort to provide support to the other divisions as well as to the public we are called upon to assist. Due to the nature of this most sensitive business, our goal is to provide compassionate service to those that we serve. An obligation rests with each staff member to render honest, efficient, courteous and discrete service on behalf of the office. As an overview of the office, a call is received reporting a death. An investigator is dispatched to the location and conducts an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the death. If the case falls under our jurisdiction, the decedent is transported to our office where an autopsy or external examination is conducted to determine the cause and manner of death.
    [Show full text]
  • Preliminary Review on Excessive Heat Deaths
    Preliminary Review on Excessive Heat Deaths Multnomah County June 2021 1 The heat dome that settled over Multnomah County and the Portland metro area from June 25 to June 28, 2021, created an extreme heat event that occurred both earlier in the summer, before residents naturally acclimate to warmer temperatures, and at a prolonged intensity never experienced before. High daytime temperatures reached triple digits for three days, peaking at 116º F at Portland International Airport on June 28, with little of the overnight cooling the region has historically depended upon. The magnitude of the heat was not just unprecedented for the temperate Pacific Northwest, but it also was exceedingly rare for most of the United States. This heat resulted in the deaths of at least 54 Multnomah County residents. Most of those who died were older, lived alone and had no air conditioning. Most were white, and most were men. While the County responded with the full set of public health interventions — intensive communication, outreach and public cooling spaces — we are humbled by the death toll and are committed to learning all we can about who succumbed and why. We also want to acknowledge the dedication of death investigators from the Multnomah County Medical Examiners Program who responded in person throughout this mass casualty event, then worked with Public Health to analyze and characterize what happened in order to share these findings with the community. The following report is a preliminary look at confirmed deaths due to hyperthermia (which literally means “excessive heat”). We expect numbers to change and our understanding of this event to evolve.
    [Show full text]
  • The Persistent Vegetative State: an Impetus for Redefining Death
    Messiah University Mosaic Faculty Scholarship Papers Office ofaculty F Development 2011 The Persistent Vegetative State: An Impetus for Redefining Death Sheri Boyce Messiah College, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://mosaic.messiah.edu/facscholar Part of the Bioethics and Medical Ethics Commons, Biology Commons, and the Philosophy of Science Commons Permanent URL: https://mosaic.messiah.edu/facscholar/2 Recommended Citation Boyce, Sheri, "The Persistent Vegetative State: An Impetus for Redefining Death" (2011). Faculty Scholarship Papers. 2. https://mosaic.messiah.edu/facscholar/2 Sharpening Intellect | Deepening Christian Faith | Inspiring Action Messiah University is a Christian university of the liberal and applied arts and sciences. Our mission is to educate men and women toward maturity of intellect, character and Christian faith in preparation for lives of service, leadership and reconciliation in church and society. www.Messiah.edu One University Ave. | Mechanicsburg PA 17055 The Persistent Vegetative State: An Impetus for Redefining Death Sheri L. Boyce Medical advances such as improved life support and better interventions in emergency medicine have saved countless lives. However, that same technology can at times prevent death while doing little or nothing to restore the fullness of a patient's life, which has in turn fueled the debate over the morality of euthanasia or "hastening" death. But an accurate discussion of death and dying requires a discussion of what it means to be alive - what is it that makes us human and when do we cease to be human? In other words, when does life end and death begin? In the past, this was a simple question to answer, but the increasing sophistication of medical treatment has blurred the distinction to the point where perhaps death should be redefined in terms of person hood rather thar.i biological criteria I.
    [Show full text]
  • Fueling Extinction: How Dirty Energy Drives Wildlife to the Brink
    Fueling Extinction: How Dirty Energy Drives Wildlife to the Brink The Top Ten U.S. Species Threatened by Fossil Fuels Introduction s Americans, we are living off of energy sources produced That hasn’t stopped oil and gas companies from gobbling in the age of the dinosaurs. Fossil fuels are dirty. They’re up permits and leases for millions of acres of our pristine Adangerous. And, they’ve taken an incredible toll on our public land, which provides important wildlife habitat and country in many ways. supplies safe drinking water to millions of Americans. And the industry is demanding ever more leases, even though it is Our nation’s threatened and endangered wildlife, plants, birds sitting on thousands of leases it isn’t using—an area the size of and fish are among those that suffer from the impacts of our Pennsylvania. fossil fuel addiction in the United States. This report highlights ten species that are particularly vulnerable to the pursuit Oil companies have generated billions of dollars in profits, and of oil, gas and coal. Our outsized reliance on fossil fuels and paid their senior executives $220 million in 2010 alone. Yet the impacts that result from its development, storage and ExxonMobil, Chevron, Shell, and BP combined have reduced transportation is making it ever more difficult to keep our vow to their U.S. workforce by 11,200 employees since 2005. protect America’s wildlife. The American people are clearly getting the short end of the For example, the Arctic Ocean is home to some of our most stick from the fossil fuel industry, both in terms of jobs and in beloved wildlife—polar bears, whales, and seals.
    [Show full text]
  • Historical Development of Cause of Death Statistics
    Technical Papers Number 55 September 1993 HISTORICAL DEVELOPMENT OF CAUSE OF DEATH STATISTICS ;/ International Institute for Vital Registration and Statistics 9650 Rockville Pike Bethesda. Maryland 20814-3998 USA FOREWORD Cause of death statistics are the by-products of a legal process, the registrktion of deaths. YThis paper traces the historical develop- II! ment of 1?~ese statistics, with special attention to international 1I efforts to develop and maintain a canmon classification system and coding rules." The developnent of procedures for designating the underlying cause of death was an especially difficult task which has had many critics, but few suggestions for alternatives. Despite the limitations of official mortality statistics on causes of death, they have served well in delineating the major public health problems over the years, ande also played an important role in the conduct of epidemiological studies. Yet much can be done to make cause of death statistics more useful, particularly multiple cause of death data. i HISTORICAL DEVELOPMENT OF CAUSE OF DEATH STATISTICS Iwao M. Moriyama PhD. Executive Director International Institute for Vital Registration and Statistics Bethesda, Maryland As a background to this presentation and discussion, it may be noted that one of the earliest, if not the earliest, systematic collection of information on causes of death was the old Bill of Mortality first published in London in 1532. These bills were weekly lists of burials and included the name of the deceased, the parish in which the burial took place, and the cause of death, with particular reference to the plague. The cause of death was determined by the searcher after she had viewed the body.
    [Show full text]
  • Death Anxiety, Artmaking and the Facilitation of Death Discourse
    Southern Illinois University Edwardsville SPARK Art Therapy Counseling Final Research Projects Art & Design Spring 5-6-2021 Death Anxiety, Artmaking and the Facilitation of Death Discourse Heather Conley Follow this and additional works at: https://spark.siue.edu/atcfinal Part of the Alternative and Complementary Medicine Commons, Art Therapy Commons, Communication Commons, Communication Sciences and Disorders Commons, Counseling Commons, Psychological Phenomena and Processes Commons, and the Psychology Commons Recommended Citation Conley, Heather, "Death Anxiety, Artmaking and the Facilitation of Death Discourse" (2021). Art Therapy Counseling Final Research Projects. 7. https://spark.siue.edu/atcfinal/7 This Final Project is brought to you for free and open access by the Art & Design at SPARK. It has been accepted for inclusion in Art Therapy Counseling Final Research Projects by an authorized administrator of SPARK. For more information, please contact [email protected],[email protected]. Death Anxiety, Artmaking and the Facilitation of Death Discourse by Heather D. Conley, Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and Studio Art A Research Project Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Arts in the field of Art Therapy Counseling Advisory Committee: Jayashree George, DA, ATR-BC, LMFT, SEP, Chair Megan Robb, MA, ATR-BC, LPC, NCC E. M. “Shelly” Goebl-Parker, MSW, LCSW, ATR-BC Graduate School Southern Illinois University Edwardsville May 06, 2021 @ Copyright by _Heather D. Conley______ May 2021 All rights reserved ii iii ABSTRACT DEATH ANXIETY, ARTMAKING AND THE FACILITATION OF DEATH DISCOURSE by HEATHER D. CONLEY Chairperson: Jayashree George, DA, ATR-BC, LMFT, SEP Discussion about death, known as death discourse, has been historically limited to the confines of the palliative care, elderly and hospice arenas (Bradshaw, 1996; Granek, 2013; Safrai, 2013; Zimmerman, 2012).
    [Show full text]
  • 61-12-3. Office of Chief Medical Examiner Established; Appointment, Duties, Etc., of Chief Medical Examiner; Assistants and Employees; Promulgation of Rules
    11/14/2019 West Virginia Code §61-12-3. Office of chief medical examiner established; appointment, duties, etc., of chief medical examiner; assistants and employees; promulgation of rules. (a) The office of chief medical examiner is hereby established within the division of health in the Department of Health and Human Resources. The office shall be directed by a chief medical examiner, who may employ pathologists, toxicologists, other forensic specialists, laboratory technicians, and other staff members, as needed to fulfill the responsibilities set forth in this article. (b) All persons employed by the chief medical examiner shall be responsible to him or her and may be discharged for any reasonable cause. The chief medical examiner shall specify the qualifications required for each position in the office of chief medical examiner, and each position shall be subject to rules prescribed by the secretary of the Department of Health and Human Resources. (c) The chief medical examiner shall be a physician licensed to practice medicine or osteopathic medicine in the State of West Virginia, who is a diplomat of the American board of pathology in forensic pathology, and who has experience in forensic medicine. The chief medical examiner shall be appointed by the director of the division of health to serve a five-year term unless sooner removed, but only for cause, by the Governor or by the director. (d) The chief medical examiner shall be responsible to the director of the division of health in all matters except that the chief medical examiner shall operate with independent authority for the purposes of: (1) The performance of death investigations conducted pursuant to section eight of this article; (2) The establishment of cause and manner of death; and (3) The formulation of conclusions, opinions or testimony in judicial proceedings.
    [Show full text]
  • Fossil Fuel Subsidies - How Our Taxes Finance What Makes Us Sick
    I. INTRODUCTION: FOSSIL FUEL SUBSIDIES - HOW OUR TAXES FINANCE WHAT MAKES US SICK THE HEALTH AND ENVIRONMENT ALLIANCE HIDDEN PRICE TAGS 01 Table of contents PREFACE ........................................................................................03 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ...............................................................05 - 07 PART I - THE PROBLEM WITH FOSSIL FUEL SUBSIDIES .....................08 - 20 1. Introduction: Fossil fuel subsidies - how our taxes finance what makes us sick 2. How fossil fuels are bad for health and climate 3. What are fossil fuel subsidies? 4. Spotlight on two of the most harmful subsidised fuels: coal and diesel cars PART II - REPORT FINDINGS AND REGIONAL EXAMPLES ...................21 - 48 1. The health benefits of fossil fuel subsidy reform 2. Two key players: the G20 and the EU 3. Country studies- Seven nations fuelling ill-health with public funds China Germany India Poland South Africa Turkey UK PART III - CHOOSE HEALTH - END FOSSIL FUEL SUBSIDIES .................49 - 52 1. Recommendations for policy makers 2. Call for action to health and medical professionals ANNEX I: Table 1 - Key figures for G20 countries .............................. ............53 ANNEX II: Table 2 - EU Premature deaths overview ........................................54 REFERENCES ...........................................................................55 - 60 THE HEALTH AND ENVIRONMENT ALLIANCE HIDDEN PRICE TAGS 02 Dr Gro Harlem Brundtland, Deputy Chair of The Elders, was Norway’s first woman Prime Minister, the Director-General of the World Health Organization from 1998-2003 and the UN Special Envoy on Climate Change from 2007- 2010. As the Chair of the World Commission of Environment and Development (known as the Brundtland Commission), she put sustainable development on the international agenda with the publication of the Commission’s landmark Preface report Our Common Future in 1987.
    [Show full text]
  • The Prospect of Immortality
    Robert C. W. Ettinger__________The Prospect Of Immortality Contents Preface by Jean Rostand Preface by Gerald J. Gruman Foreword Chapter 1. Frozen Death, Frozen Sleep, and Some Consequences Suspended Life and Suspended Death Future and Present Options After a Moment of Sleep Problems and Side Effects Chapter II. The Effects of Freezing and Cooling Long-term Storage Successes in Freezing Animals and Tissues The Mechanism of Freezing Damage Frostbite The Action of Protective Agents The Persistence of Memory after Freezing The Extent of Freezing Damage Rapid Freezing and Perfusion Possibilities The Limits of Delay in Treatment The Limits of Delay in Cooling and Freezing Maximum and Optimum Storage Temperature Radiation Hazard Page 1 Robert Ettinger – All Rights Reserved www.cryonics.org Robert C. W. Ettinger__________The Prospect Of Immortality Chapter III. Repair and Rejuvenation Revival after Clinical Death Mechanical Aids and Prostheses Transplants Organ Culture and Regeneration Curing Old Age Chapter IV. Today's Choices The Outer Limits of Optimism Preserving Samples of Ourselves Preserving the Information Organization and Organizations Emergency and Austerity Freezing Freezing with Medical Cooperation Individual Responsibility: Dying Children Husbands and Wives, Aged Parents and Grandparents Chapter V. Freezers and Religion Revival of the Dead: Not a New Problem The Question of God's Intentions The Riddle of Soul Suicide Is a Sin God's Image and Religious Adaptability Added Time for Growth and Redemption Conflict with Revelation The Threat of Materialism Perspective Chapter VI. Freezers and the Law Freezers and Public Decency Definitions of Death; Rights and Obligations of the Frozen Life Insurance and Suicide Mercy Killings Murder Widows, Widowers, and Multiple Marriages Cadavers as Citizens Potter's Freezer and Umbrellas Page 2 Robert Ettinger – All Rights Reserved www.cryonics.org Robert C.
    [Show full text]